Ho Chi Minh Trail: Clear evidence of Vietnam-Laos relations
QĐND - Wednesday, July 04, 2012, 20:55 (GMT+7)
PANO – During the anti-American resistance war of Vietnam and Laos, the Truong Son Trail, also known as Ho Chi Minh Trail, becomes a live symbol of the revolutionary heroism, bravery and spirit “determination to fight and to win ” of the two peoples. It was also the life-line and pivotal logistics base and a bridge between front lines in the war to defend national independence of Vietnamese and Lao people.
The legendary road named after the beloved President Ho Chi Minh
The Truong Son Trail plays an important role not only in the Vietnam-Lao cause for national liberation but also in the two countries’ national reconstruction and protection at present and in the future.
Immediately after the signing of the Geneva Agreement in 1954, with the scheme to replace the French to turn the South Vietnam into a new-type colony and to check the communist movement in Southeast Asia, the U.S imperialists had sent Ngo Dinh Diem back to Vietnam to set up a new puppet administration in southern Vietnam in an attempt to divide the country permanently.
To complete the national liberation cause, reinforce troops and weapons to the liberation fighters in Southern Vietnam and to support and cooperate with Lao and Cambodian people, the Vietnamese Party and Government decided to establish the Truong Son strategic logistics transport route.
On May 5th, 1959, the “Special military delegation” (or Army Corps 559) was assigned to open a strategic artery through the Truong Son Range to transport troops and cargo to the Southern front during the resistance war against the US imperialists. The construction started on the birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Ming May 19th, 1959 and then was named the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Immediately after the operation of the road, knowing that it is our strategic logistical line, in June, 1960, the American and its lackeys conducted a large scale raids in the Western part of Quang Tri Province to break off the road. Dealing with this situation, the Central Committee of the then Vietnam Labour Party worked with the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to open a new road on the West of Truong Son Range. A Lao leader stated that “Two nations are brothers and the destiny of the two nations is bound together. So, Lao people will try their utmost to contribute to Vietnamese victory”.
The beginning of glorious victories
Thanks to this cooperation, the new supply route was opened and from April, 1961, with Vietnamese soldier-volunteers’ assistance, Lao army units pushed up their operations and liberated a vast area from Kam Kot, Lac Xao to Muong Phin, Sepon, linking No.12 road to No.9 road, to open the East-West corridor. All six Lao villages in the North and South of the No.9 road were freed, beginning glorious victories in the two countries’ resistance war for national liberation.
In 1963, the American imperialists and the government of Ngo Dinh Diem continued to bombard road in the East of Truong Son, blocking the road. Thus, the Central Committees of Vietnam Labour Party and Lao People's Revolutionary Party again met and agreed to open the Campaign 128 to liberate the Lao Central Highlands with 700km-border with Vietnam. The success of the Campaign 128 paved the way for Vietnamese troops to transport weapons and equipments for the Southern battles through the West of Laos.
Beside building up and protecting the transport line, the Corps 559 also fought against enemies and help Lao units build bases along the corridor, maintaining reinforcement flow for Lao revolutionary troops.
In 1970, the Americans escalated the war to Cambodia and increased the war in Laos turning the whole Indochina into a battle field. To reserve the situation, Vietnamese soldier-volunteers associated with Cambodian soldiers to defeat enemies, liberated five provinces in the Northeastern Cambodia and almost all rural area. Meanwhile Vietnam-Laos allied troops liberated Attapeu (Laos) and then moved towards to free Siem Pang (Cambodia).
Until the end of 1970, a liberated area from Northeastern Cambodia to Southern Laos and the Central Highlands of Vietnam became a complete revolutionary base of the three Indochinese countries. This event opened up a new age of the Ho Chi Minh Trail’s history.
Ho Chi Minh Trail: Clear evidence of Vietnam-Laos relations (Part 2)
QĐND - Thursday, July 05, 2012, 21:16 (GMT+7)
PANO – In a dark plot to take over three Indochinese nations, the US promoted to provide funds and weapons for its puppet governments of Saigon and Vientiane. The resistance war of Vietnamese and Lao people for national liberation remained difficult.
Establishing a strategic area
To achieve the goal of national reunification, Vietnamese Party and State attached much importance to extending and bettering the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In November 1973, the Vietnam Council of Ministers (now the Government), ratified a project to build the Ho Chi Minh road network on both the East and West of the Truong Son Range. On January 1st, 1974, the project officially started.
It was a comprehensive strategic revolutionary base to link the rears of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia with battlefields, and an artery in the resistance war against the U.S imperialists. The Vietnamese Communist Party and Lao People’s Revolutionary Party’s leaders agreed to build a strategic supply route and a base for the South Indochina front-line from Road.8 in West Ha Tinh to Bolikhamxay and Attapeu Provinces of Laos.
The Politburos of the two Parties assigned the Truong Son Trail High Command to take full responsibility for operations of units on this artery. Under the guideline of the Command, Vietnamese soldier and expert volunteers associated with units in Central-Southern Laos and local authorities of seven provinces of Laos where the Ho Chi Minh Trail crossed by to extend the network and fight against enemies to protect the road.
Before the Spring 1975 general offensive campaign, two nations’ units finished the Truong Son-Ho Chi Minh Trail with a total length of 20,000km and install a 14,000km- telephone line.
A symbol of heroism
Between 1959 and 1975, troops on Truong Son Trail fought back 11,135 bombardments of the US Air Force and its lackeys; shot down 2,455 aircraft; drove back 1,263 enemies’ raids and killed and captured 18,740 enemy troops. For these years, Vietnamese troops delivered over 1.3 million tons of foods, weapons and other essential equipment on the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the South Vietnam battlefield and Indochinese fronts. Of which, Lao and Cambodian revolutionary received over 583,000 tons. For four months of the Spring 1975 campaign, Corps 559 transported around 110,000 cadres and soldiers to South Vietnam.
However, during these 16 years of construction and development of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, about 19,600 and over 40,000 Vietnamese troops were killed and injured, respectively.
Apart from a key task of transporting troops and cargo to the Southern and Lao fronts, the Ho Chi Minh Trail created good conditions for Laos to build more revolutionary bases and rears as well as for Vietnam-Laos allied forces to resist enemy mopping-up operations and liberate other areas, especially in the Road 9-South Laos Campaign in 1971 and Lao Salavan Campaign in 1972.
With the Vietnamese soldier-volunteers’ assistance, Lao revolutionary people and army extended their operation and seized power from the US-backed puppet government in May 1975. On December 2nd, 1975, the Lao People's Democratic Republic was officially set up, opening a new era for Lao people.
The Truong Son-Ho Chi Minh Trail, under 16 years of operation, fulfilled its historical task, making great contributions to the Liberation of South Vietnam and national reunification and to the Lao and Cambodian national liberations. It becomes a noble symbol of the revolutionary heroism of Vietnamese troops and people, solidarity of the three Indochinese nations’ armies and people, especially the Vietnam-Laos friendship in the protracted resistance war to defend national independence.
Mentioning to the special relations between Vietnam and Laos, late Lao President Kayson Phomvihane emphasized that in the history of world revolution, there are many brilliant examples of militant spirit of proletarian internationalism. There has never had a special long-term and comprehensive tie like Vietnam-Laos relationship. The valuable and rare relationship will be cultivated and developed higher with every passing day.
Up to now, the first 2,000km-in-length phrase of the new project of Ho Chi Minh Trail from Hoa Lac (Hanoi) to Binh Phuoc Province finished, contributing to developing national socio-economy and reducing transport pressure for the Highway 1A. The second stage, from Hoa Lac to Pac Po (Cao Bang Province) will start in the upcoming time. By 2020, Vietnam plans to complete the route with highway standards.
